I can’t see her because of Snake’s broad body crowding me in the corner.
Slowly, he drags his fingers free, his eyes never leaving mine as he sucks my essence from him.
Chapter sixteen
REUNIONS AND REALIZATIONS
SABAN
“Easy says come to Angel’s hidden mansion right now,” Lourdes gleefully says as we leave The Shack and hop into her truck. Her exhilaration is palpable.
Excitement at getting to see my friend is enough to allay the disappointment at having the kiss from Snake interrupted. A kiss I shouldn’t want. I should’ve bitten his lip until it bled to make him let me go. No matter what he says about me belonging to him, he still did monstrous things or let me believe that he did to play a sick, malicious game to punish me.
“Did you see me geeking out over Dr. Feelgood? I swear I’m such a simp.” Lourdes laughs at herself in that deprecating way of hers. Proving why she’s my bestie by not mentioning how Snake had me hemmed-up in the corner of the juke joint.
The drive to Angel’s compound is filled with laughter, like our time together before she got busy with medical school, though she always made sure we got together on her breaks. Our paths may have diverged, but we’ll always choose each other.
Lourdes has been a constant in my life since I came over with Snake and Angel introduced us. I guess he thought we could leanon each other since neither of us had parents any longer. That was fine because we had each other. I know we will always have each other, no matter what.
“Sorry I never called. I just didn’t want to get you caught up in anything — especially since Angel was involved.” Looking over at her, I try to gauge her expression, though she has her glasses on that she needs for driving.
“I know why that was impossible. I didn’t talk to my brother for a while because I —”
“Believed me.” I finish.
She nods, swallowing. Her eyes fill with tears so fast she hastily lifts her glasses and swipes her eyes. “He was a maniac. Tore this beautiful town up. Folks couldn’t even go tot he library. Shut out everyone but Snake. It was like watching two wounded lions fighting the world. They didn’t want to have the splinter pulled out. They only wanted to nurse it and make everyone pay for the pain.”
“Lourdes.” I stop swallowing against the boulder in my throat at the analogy she paints in my mind. Still, I have to press my point. “I know what I saw. Those young women and girls said they were being trafficked. We saw Angel, Snake, and Ulysses there. I know what I saw. I know what they told me. I believe them.” My voice is strident in defense of my actions by the time I finish.
“I know.” She nods. “Kandie told us. The girls were talking about Rudy’s crew. They were en route at the same time Snake, Angel and them put them down.”
“Ulysses intercepted the coyotes close to the time all that went down with you and Easy. Rudy’s contact did not know he was dead, so when Ulysses came upon the tractor trailer, they assumed he was on Rudy’s payroll. He took them to a remote warehouse, where they put them down. Well, Snake did as soon as he found out what happened to those young women. Angelfinished the job after Snake came in and put a bullet in the coyote leader’s head. It’s not like they would have allowed them out of there anyway after they smuggled folks into el Diablo territory.”
Silence descends as we enter the vast property of her brother’s mansion. I feel as though icy cold water has drenched me. Stunned is not the word. I feel silly.
An entire community was thrown into turmoil because of my actions. It doesn’t matter how good my intentions were — the result is people suffered because of what I did. Part of me immediately wants to reject everything she’s saying. The past year flashes before me in technicolor. For the last couple of months, Snake could have told me the truth but decided to let me believe I was letting a trafficker fuck me. That smug motherfucker was laughing every time I folded. I bet he got a good laugh every time I went back on my convictions because my feeling for him were stronger.
We pull up at the mansion before I can fully process what Lourdes told me. All thoughts flee when I see Ezkeil-Jane standing out in front of the palatial mansion holding the biggest baby bundle I’ve ever seen.
Tears well in my eyes, and I feel like my heart is about to overflow. I experienced every part of her pregnancy until she forced me to leave her at the mercy of the man she was sure was going to kill her.
The truck barely comes to a full stop before I’m out the door, wrapping my friend in my arms. The squirming baby giggles instead of squalling like so many when they are being squeezed.
“Come inside, Mama-Pete cooked dinner.” Easy urges her eyes wet with happiness.
“It’s such a blessing that y’all are able to get back together.” Mama-Pete says, passing the mac and cheese down the table. “Can’t be missing your people over this nonsense. It’s time tomove on.” She adds with the finality of a woman used to running things.
We all nod, knowing better than to say anything that goes against the family’s matriarch. Mama-Pete won’t hesitate to put us in our place in the most creative language and then tell us how much she loves us right after.
“Where your man?” she skewers Ezekiel-Jane with a mercurial look.
“He’s on his way. Just wanted to give us time to chat.” Giving her gran a meaningful look, she takes some ribs from the platter. “Angel knows what time dinner is, and he’s — look,” she nods to the sound of the door closing. “He’s here now.”
“Grandson already knows what’s up.” Pa-Pete chuckles, thanking Mama-Pete for the plate she just fixed for him. “Thank ya, darling.”
“Mi amore,” Angel says minutes later, striding over to Easy, greeting his elders as he enters.
Dipping to his hunches, he kisses her cheek, and then speaks softly to her before kissing baby Judah on his head before rising to survey the table.
